whence

From what place

Whence is a somewhat old-fashioned but useful conjunction that combines the ideas of from and where: She returned whence she came and was never seen again.

Whence can also be used to introduce the cause or reason for something: They were given different versions of the document, whence arose their disagreement.

origin

provenance

Record of ownership

etymologyWord origin study
sourcePoint of origin
derivationSource or origin tracing

ancestry · lineage · genealogy · heritage · roots · birthplace · homeland · antecedent · precursor · progenitor

inquiry

wherefrom

From what place

how comeInformal query for reason

Categories

old-fashioned wordsforsooth, hark, betwixt, hither, prithee
Archaismsthee, thou, thy, thine, ye
Biblical Englishthou, thee, thy, thine, ye
Olde Englishthee, thou, thy, thine, hath
archaic adverbsanon, betimes, ere, erstwhile, forsooth
archaic Englishthou, thee, thy, thine, ye

Opposites

directional origin vs destination

To what place

where to · thither · whereto · destination · hence

causal source vs result

whencewherefore

For what purpose

to what end · whither · result · outcome · consequence

Phrases

since whenExpression of incredulous surprise
when pigs flyExpressing utter impossibility
remember whenPrompt for shared nostalgia
way back whenA long-ago time
back whenAt a former time
say whenRequest to indicate sufficiency

Family

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Abstract · Everyday, not technical · Rated G